Harry Potter and the Unknown Prophecy
by xJessicax
Summary: Harry Potter embarks on a journey to destroy the remaining Horcruxes, while returning to school against his will. Ron's estranged cousins the Prewetts return to Britain, helping Harry with a mix of archived memories. Character death and HBP spoilers
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Harry Potter and the Unknown Prophecy**

**Author: Jessica AKA xJessicax**

**Chapters: Undecided**

**Summary: Harry Potter embarks on a journey to destroy the remaining Horcruxes, while returning to school against his will. Ron's estranged cousins the Prewetts return to Britain, helping Harry with a mix of archived memories. More mysterious murders happen every day, including some close to home. Emotions run high, especially with 16 year olds Margaret and Lorraine Prewett as they re-tell the horrible tale that is their father's murder.**

**A/N: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. I created the characters Stephen, Alex, Lorraine, Margaret, and Luke Prewett, Brian, Andrew, and Kayla Sandoval, and Leah Browning, but they were based on the books and characters of the lovely J.K. Rowling.**

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Chapter 1

The Riddle House had been deserted for over fifty years now. There was a rumor in the village below that the place was haunted, because the owners had been murdered there, and now the gardener just recently had disappeared. Maybe the villagers were right.

For every so often light would flicker through the grimy windows. Hooded shadows inside could be seen from the village. But whenever the police would go up to the house, it looked as if nothing had ever been touched. There weren't even any footprints in the inches of dust that had collected on the floor.

Once such night, when the villagers were all asleep, the hooded figures were meeting in the house. Their leader, an unmasked man with red, snake-like eyes, and an equally ugly, snake-like nose to match, was sitting in the chair in front of the fire, a horribly huge snake lying at his feet. His followers were standing all around him, each in robes, a mask, and pointed hat.

"Dolohov!" the leader pointed to a tall man standing across the room.

"Yes," Dolohov said in his gruff voice, "Well, you see, my Lord, we… can't seem to locate them." He looked nervous, his graying hair on end.

"What?" the snake-man spoke, "I, Lord Voldemort, cannot locate a little girl?" He spoke louder. "I, a master of sorcery and immortality, do not have followers loyal enough to actually try and help me destroy my enemies?"

"My Lord, I assure you we are doing all we-"

"Quiet! I cannot think!" Voldemort pointed a long, thin wand at Dolohov.

"Crucio!"

"Agh!"

"Forgive me, my Lord," Dolohov panted, "But what is so important about the girl?"

Voldemort turned back to the fire, staring deep into the dying embers. Finally, he spoke. "I do not know, Dolohov. No one knows. The magic inside of her is very powerful, very unwieldy. If it were to be used against us..." He rubbed his forehead as a migraine formed. "It doesn't matter! All I know is that we must destroy her!"

"My Lord!" A rat-like man had barged into the room.

Voldemort turned to the door, "Wormtail! Please tell me something is going right!"

"My Lord Voldemort, I have found them," Wormtail panted.

"Yes?" Voldemort yelled, anticipating the news, "Well, where is she?"

"I've traced her to America, my Lord!" Wormtail gasped collapsing into a chair.

"Bring her to me!" Voldemort said in a raspy voice, "Soon!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was 2 AM. Harry Potter was tossing and turning in his sleep. Not for the last time, and certainly not for the first. Harry wasn't an ordinary boy- he was a wizard. In fact, he wasn't even ordinary for a wizard. He was apparently the "Chosen One" according to some prophecy and the wizarding newspapers. The Chosen One meaning that he was supposed to defeat the Dark Lord, Voldemort.

For the past two weeks after returning to his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house on Privet Drive, Harry hadn't been able to sleep at all. Horrible nightmares of what had happened earlier that year haunted him, and not only at night. Harry now relived those hideous moments every minute of his life. Snape betraying them, Dumbledore being murdered, the funeral, breaking up with Ginny, not to mention that the Horcruxes, objects that were keeping Voldemort alive and immortal, were still out there, perhaps in the evil wizard's hands as we speak.

The wizarding world was in a crisis. Their greatest leader for so many years had been murdered, and the Ministry of Magic had confirmed that Voldemort was back and worse than ever. Death rates were becoming higher each and every day. There was no safe haven anywhere. Hogwarts, the school for wizards and witches, and also the one location considered to be the safest place on earth, could be closed because of Voldemort's raid. Harry wasn't planning on going back for his 7th year anyway.

There was a thump against the window. Harry sat up to see a snowy white owl, and a semi-familiar tawny one flying around his window. He had forgotten to prop open the pane last night like he usually did. The immediate second he let the two owls in, another much smaller owl came plummeting in behind them. This small excuse for an owl flew around like a person belonging in a psych hospital. He flew around madly for about five minutes, until the white owl finally had enough of him, flew off her perch, and pecked him until he fell onto Harry's bed.

Harry untied the letter from the tawny owl first, which after being unloaded of his burden, hopped up regally and soared out of the window. Upon opening the envelope, Harry found the following letter:

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I have been informed by no else than your friend, Miss Granger, that you are not going to return to Hogwarts. I am writing this letter to tell you that I cannot accept that decision on your part. It is crucial that you return to the school. We are going to reopen Hogwarts no matter what has happened. The education of this generation of wizards and witches is very important, especially at this delicate time. I am not going to say anymore in this letter, if by some small chance it is intercepted by another unfriendly source. Just be sure you are on the Hogwarts Express September 1st._

_On a happier note, the Weasleys will be taking you in after your 17th birthday. They will also be taking you to take your Apparition test. If I have not convinced you yet to return to Hogwarts, I am sure Molly will take care of it. Remember, it is for your own good as well as everyone else's that you return._

_Have a nice summer and good luck on your Apparition test!_

_Professor McGonagall_

Harry read over the parts where McGonagall had said he must return to Hogwarts. She couldn't be serious! Return to Hogwarts when he was the one who was supposed to be searching for the Horcruxes?

"Pig, shush!" Harry whispered to the tiny owl. Pig had once again started to fly around. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would have his head if another owl woke them in the middle of the night. Harry grabbed the letter from the hyperactive owl.

_Harry-_

_We'll be picking you up sooner than your birthday. We have a small detour to make. Well, not small really, but I can't tell you in a letter._

_See you soon!_

_Ron_

_P.S. Hermione says hi._

"Great, more cryptic messages," Harry said. He was worried though. If the entire Weasley clan showed up unexpected, no doubt Uncle Vernon wouldn't be thrilled.

He turned to Hedwig, taking the letter she had brought. He recognized the extremely crude and untidy handwriting.

_Harry_

_Me and Olympe'll be heading back to France. Owls'll take a little longer to get to ya._

_Happy Birthday!_

_Hagrid_

Harry opened an oddly wrapped package that Hedwig had brought with Hagrid's note. It weighed a ton. "Hagrid, you're killing me here," Harry groaned. Inside the box were over two dozen of his famous rock cakes. Hedwig hooted despondently.

After shoving the heavy box under a loose floorboard, Harry opened up the drawer in his nightstand and pulled out his wand. Just looking at it made him feel like an animal cooped up in a zoo. In a month he would be free from this place though, and then he could use magic whenever he needed to.

Harry looked over at his clock. 2:36. He pulled off his glasses and laid them on the nightstand. Maybe it was the knowledge that he would be leaving soon or that he was overtired, but he fell straight asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Those ruddy friends of yours are coming whenever they feel like it?" bellowed Uncle Vernon, his face tomato red. Harry had just told him what Ron had written him about, and Vernon Dursley was not taking it very well.

"Uncle Vernon, they just don't kn-"

"Sounds just like them, the rude people they are!" said Uncle Vernon, disregarding Harry. He continued to read his newspaper, his voluminous mustache twitching, while mumbling to himself. The words "rude" and "whenever they feel like it" could be distinctly heard.

Harry wanted to yell at his uncle for being so ignorant, but decided against it. Instead he went up to his room to pack the rest of his belongings. He secretly hoped that the Weasleys would come in the middle of the night so the Dursleys wouldn't blow up. Aunt Petunia hadn't particularly enjoyed the last time the Weasley came to pick up Harry, and Harry doubted she would be any better this time around.

Harry's aunt hadn't been too horrible this summer, now that he thought about it. Aunt Petunia had never struck him as a terribly compassionate person, (except when she was coddling her elephant of a son, Dudley), but she kept giving him strange, almost… maternal looks every now and again. It was unnerving, as if everything wasn't where it should be.

Hedwig was sleeping with her head under her wing, but awakened immediately after Harry entered the room. "Hey, Hedwig," Harry said to the owl. To the left of Hedwig was Harry's trunk. He threw the rest of his schoolbooks into it, loathing the task as he did it. McGonagall was crazy to think that he was actually going to return to Hogwarts. What if the letter was a forgery? Harry dug through his trunk and examined the letter. The signature looked legit, but there was no way of knowing with magic. Harry abandoned the thought of forgery when he remembered the owl that had delivered the letter. Professor McGonagall had used that owl numerous times to send letters to him in the past. He tossed the letter back into his trunk and locked it.

The doorbell rang just as Harry closed the trunk. He heard Uncle Vernon grunt and answer the call. He jumped when he recognized the matronly voice at the door.

"Mr. Dursley, I can assure you that Harry will be perfectly safe with us," said the voice of Mrs. Weasley from the downstairs hall.

Uncle Vernon made a grunting noise that indicated that he didn't care, (which Harry reminded himself, he probably didn't). "The boy's just up there," he said shortly.

"Ron, go help Harry with his things. I'm going to talk with Harry's aunt and uncle for a moment," said the voice of Mr. Weasley.

Harry quickly started down the hallway. He didn't want to have to spend any more time at the Dursley's than he needed to.

"Hiya, Harry," said a voice in front of him.

Looking at Ron, Harry could tell that the Weasleys had indeed not blown in through the chimney like they had three years ago. He was completely soot-free. "You passed your Apparition test then?" Harry asked grinning.

"Yup," said Ron, barely able to suppress a smile as well. "Nearly missed the mark and blew it like Charlie did his first time around, but it went well. Hermione was horrible, not at the test, mind you, she was great at that, but she kept nagging the whole week before about how I should be reading up on Apparating like she was and…"

Harry interrupted Ron with a laugh. "Is she with you?" he asked, walking back down the hall and opening his bedroom door.

"No, we've been in contact by letter like she has with you," said Ron simply. "Then I saw her when I went to go take my test. We're going to go get her after we finish here. By car though, since you can't Apparate yet."

Harry placed Hedwig on top of his trunk, and then he and Ron took either end and carried it downstairs. They placed it in front of the door, where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were waiting.

"Got everything, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked kindly. Although she still was her same motherly self, something seemed to be worrying her at the moment.

"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah, I've got everything." He looked back at his aunt and uncle. "Good-bye, I guess," he said to them. Aunt Petunia's face softened a little. But in a second's time she returned to being the woman Harry had known for sixteen years.

"Go on then," she snapped. She looked at Mrs. Weasley. "He won't be back, will he?"

Mrs. Weasley looked shocked at being addressed like this. "No, I doubt he will," she replied coolly. "Come along, then, Harry."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

She ushered him out the door, where a Muggle car was parked in the street.

"Borrowed it from a friend," Mr. Weasley explained as they all climbed into the vehicle.

"So, how's your summer been so far, Harry?" asked Mrs. Weasley, looking at him through the dashboard mirror.

"Not great, but I think I'll live," Harry replied. He rubbed his forehead involuntarily. His scar still was sore.

Suddenly, Harry remembered something Ron had said in the letter that came the other day. "Didn't you say something about how you had to take me from the Dursleys early because you had to be somewhere else?" he asked Ron.

It was Mrs. Weasley who spoke however. "Yes, my sister-in-law's home in Oregon in the United States. We haven't seen them for about seven or eight years, so it should be nice."

Harry had a strange feeling they weren't just going for a family reunion. "So she's your sister then?" he asked Mr. Weasley.

Mr. Weasley chuckled. "Oh, no, there hasn't been a girl in the Weasley family since… well Ginny's been the first in around a century."

"No, Leah Browning married my younger brother, Stephen," said Mrs. Weasley. "She's a Muggle. Both of them were very avid travelers, and ran into each other when Stephen got into a bit of trouble in Italy. He mixed up a few words and the police weren't too happy. Leah helped him out." She smiled fondly. "They were married about a year later."

"So what happened to your brother?" Harry asked. It seemed odd that Mrs. Weasley mentioned her sister-in-law, but not her brother.

All three Weasleys were silent. Mrs. Weasley spoke quietly. "A year after Stephen and Leah's fourth child, Luke, was born; Stephen was killed by a Death Eater."

Harry suddenly felt very embarrassed for asking the question. "Was he an Auror?" he asked.

"No, but my older brothers, Gideon and Fabian were," said Mrs. Weasley. "Stephen was killed four years after You-Know-Who disappeared, so nobody knows why the Death Eaters searched him out." She sniffed loudly.

At the words "Gideon and Fabian" something clicked into place in Harry's mind. "Gideon and Fabian Prewett?" he asked. "You're their sister?" Mrs. Weasley nodded with a few tears in her eyes. "So what happened after your brother… died?"

Mrs. Weasley wiped away her tears. "Well, naturally Leah was devastated. Here she was, a widow with four children under the age of six, and her own family was gone. She even went so far as threatening to raise the children as Muggles to keep them out of harm's way." Mrs. Weasley sighed. "She had to accept it though; you can't force magic out of a wizard's heart. So off each of them went at eleven to Salem."

Nobody said anything after this. It was only when Harry asked what the Prewett children were like did Mrs. Weasley speak again.

"Well, there's Alex, he's a few months younger than Fred and George, then there's Lorraine and Margaret, who just turned sixteen, lovely girls-"

"Lovely girls?" Ron interrupted. "Sure, they're lovely. Do you remember what they did to me?"

"Oh, Ron, you can't blame them," said Mrs. Weasley fairly. "They were only three."

"They set me on fire!"

Ignoring her son, who was now steaming, Mrs. Weasley continued. "After the girls comes Luke, who is fourteen, I can't believe it. The last time I saw him he was only six, cute little thing, just like his father." She reminisced at length about this nephew more than the others for an unknown reason.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Mrs. Weasley, handing Ron a parchment envelope. "Ron, show him that picture Margaret sent Ginny."

Ron pulled out a wizard photo, which would have been completely normal, except that the occupants were waving at them. Harry looked at the photo, which was of a family in front of a small house with a gate around the front. At the bottom was written in very neat handwriting-

Ginny-

We took this just last week. Aren't the puppies cute?

–Margaret

A short, dark-haired woman was in the center, next to who was clearly her husband. He didn't look anything like Mrs. Weasley though, for he had a dark blonde hair color and hazel eyes, whereas Mrs. Weasley had red hair and brown eyes.

"That's not Stephen," said Mrs. Weasley, clearly reading his mind. "That's Brian, Leah's husband now." She leaned over to point out two of the children in the photo. "This," she said, pointing to a teenage boy who looked quite a lot like Brian, "Is Andrew, Brian's son, and this," she pointed to a dark-haired little girl with big brown eyes, "Is Kayla. She's Leah and Brian's daughter." She noticed the look on Harry's face. "I know it's terribly confusing."

Standing next to Andrew, and holding two spaniel puppies, was a tall girl with reddish blonde hair and green eyes. Harry thought this must be either Lorraine or Margaret. But the girl to the left of the blonde certainly couldn't be her twin. This girl, who was restraining two adult dogs, and also trying to keep three other puppies in a basket at her feet, had the dark hair of her mother, and was about six inches shorter than her sister.

"Are these the twins?" asked Harry, pointing to the girls.

Ron nodded. "The one holding the pups is Lorraine, and the other is Margaret." He pointed to a short boy who looked much like Margaret, and then a young man who had the same hair color as Lorraine. "That's Luke and Alex," Ron explained briefly.

Harry handed the photograph back to Mrs. Weasley. "Why are you going to visit them?" he asked.

"The girls and Luke are going to be attending Hogwarts this year," said Mrs. Weasley vaguely. She placed the photo back in its envelope, and made quite a show of resealing it.

"They'll be staying with you?"

"It's not quite final yet, but yes, probably," said Mrs. Weasley, still fiddling with the seal. She looked around the car nervously, as if something was going to jump out and attack them. "I don't think it's safe to discuss this here, but I'll explain some other time."

Mr. Weasley, who had been silent for some time, spoke up. "We're here," said he. "You two go on and get Hermione, and I'll get the trunk opened."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Harry was about to ring the Granger's doorbell when Crookshanks, Hermione ginger cat, came pelting out the cat flap and brushed up against Harry's legs. Harry reached down and scratched the cat behind his ears.

"Crookshanks, come back here!" said Hermione's voice. In a minute she had the door open and saw Harry and Ron. Immediately her irritation with her pet vanished.

"Oh, it's so good to see you! Letters just aren't the same as talking to you- and there's just been so much going on- Harry, I just thought of something- and- Crookshanks, don't!" she said all of this very fast and excitedly, hugging Harry and then Ron, all the while running about in her slippers and with a half-eaten piece of toast in her hand. Crookshanks had run over to Mr. Weasley, and was rearing up on his hind legs in a dog-like fashion.

"Oh, it's all right, Hermione," said Mr. Weasley, now petting Crookshanks. "I don't mind. Funny thing, isn't he?"

Hermione smiled like a mother admiring her child. Crookshanks was now joyfully leaping all over the place, reminding Harry of the puppies in Margaret's photograph.

"Hermione, dear, are they here already?" said a woman's voice from the hall adjacent to the Granger's front door.

Mrs. Granger was by no small stretch a gorgeous lady, but she certainly wasn't ugly either. The hair that fell onto her shoulders was a light brown, and very like her daughter's, but not so bushy. She stood not much taller than Hermione, the two of them within an inch of the other's height. There were lines on her forehead, and although her chocolate brown eyes were kind and inviting, they also held that mother's worry.

And worried she did seem. Harry thought that perhaps the fact that Hermione had told her what was happening in the wizarding world (and no doubt that the strange events in the paradoxical Muggle world were in fact caused by wizards) was what caused her troubled appearance. As she invited Harry and Ron, and then Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, into the house, she cast a nervous glance at the sky. Harry knew what she was looking for. Hermione probably mentioned in passing about the Dark Mark, the sign Voldemort and his Death Eaters cast into the heavens when they murdered.

"Can I get you anything?" Mrs. Granger asked kindly of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Harry, and Ron in turn.

"No, thank you," said each of them simultaneously.

"Well, I'm going to go get some shoes on," Hermione stated, "And then we can leave?" As she asked this, Mrs. Granger's eyes started to look teary. 

"Mum…" Hermione said tentatively. She hugged her mother. "It's going to be all right." She wiped away a tear on her face that had fallen unnoticed. "It will be."

While Hermione was upstairs getting her things, Harry couldn't help but think about Hermione's mother's reaction. Here it was, their final year at Hogwarts, and also the year that they were most likely to be killed. And Mrs. Granger was more confused than all of them. It wasn't really fair to her that she did not know how horrible her life could be.

"Harry?" said a voice that sounded so distant. It was Hermione.

"What?" said Harry blankly. He snapped out of his reverie. "Oh, are we leaving?"

Ron and Mr. Weasley were waiting out by the car. Hermione's trunk was already packed away, and Crookshanks was next to Hedwig's cage in his wicker basket. Mrs. Weasley embraced Mrs. Granger. Harry thought he could distinctly hear words of comfort being exchanged.

Finally, Mrs. Weasley was back in the car, and they drove away. Hermione waved back to her mother, and Harry couldn't help but feel that it would be a long time before mother and daughter were reunited.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Harry's despondent feeling disappeared the moment they arrived at the Burrow. Although he was not allowed to venture beyond the boundaries of the Weasleys' property, Harry had no reason to seek to do so. This was home, next to Hogwarts of course. He felt like he belonged here.

"Well, Harry, you'll be staying in Ron's room as usual," said Mrs. Weasley as they entered the house. "But don't unpack too much, as we'll be staying at Leah's tomorrow night. Hermione, Ginny is-"

"Oh, thank goodness you're here!"

A girl with long bright red hair ran from the staircase- Ginny. She seized Hermione's hand and pulled her up the stairs with her, trunk and Crookshanks dragging behind them.

Ron stared after his sister. "I don't know what's gotten into her lately, but she's not normal Ginny," said Ron. "She's been moping around since we got home and then whenever anybody asks her what's wrong, she puts on this horrible act like everything's fine." He shrugged. "I don't know, mate. I guess Dumbledore's death hit her pretty hard."

Harry shrugged too, pretending he didn't know what was up. Harry had yet to tell Ron that he had broken it off with Ginny, and it appeared that Ginny had not said a word either. Harry wasn't sure if Ron would cheer or break his neck for ending it with Ginny. A short while ago Harry would have gone with the former, seeing the way Ron had reacted when he heard Ginny was dating Michael Corner two years ago, and then when he had seen her kissing Dean Thomas just last year. Now Harry knew Ron didn't mind him dating his sister, but Harry and Ginny weren't together anymore.

Ron picked up one end of Harry's trunk and motioned for Harry to take the other end so that they could carry it upstairs.

"Couldn't you just levitate it?" asked Harry, raising his eyebrows.

Ron's eyes widened. "You know, I don't know why I didn't think of that," he laughed. "_Locomotor trunk_! I guess I'm still getting the hang of being able to do magic outside of Hogwarts."

Harry laughed too. He walked behind Ron all the way up the many flights of stairs that led to Ron's attic bedroom. The familiar room was dedicated to orange at first glance. Actually it was simply covered from floor to ceiling in Chudley Cannons paraphernalia. The same frog that had sat in the tank under the window was still there, and cards from chocolate frog boxes were scattered across the desk.

"Want to play some Exploding Snap?" asked Ron, holding up a pack of cards.

---

"So, Harry's broken up with you?" asked Hermione worriedly. She was sitting on the extra roll away bed as charmed knitting needles worked the yarn in front of her into a hat. "When did this happen? And did he say why?"

"Right after Dumbledore's funeral," said Ginny quietly. "He said it wouldn't be safe for me to be around him. I think it is pure nonsense. I've been around him for six years now! I'm a Weasley, a blood traitor! Voldemort would come after me anyway!"

Hermione gazed in awe at Ginny. "You said his name! I've been trying to convince for the last three years and you've finally done it!"

"Yes, well, I have been working on it since I got home," said Ginny impatiently, brushing a strand of her auburn hair out of her eyes. "Can we focus on the issue at hand?"

"Oh, sorry," said Hermione. "Well, I agree with you." Ginny smiled triumphantly. "But I also agree with Harry."

Ginny's face fell. "How can you? You don't really think I need protection, do you? I have proven that-"

"Ginny, I don't doubt that you are indeed a very powerful witch," said Hermione, "but I believe Harry has his reasons. He doesn't want to lose you, so he's trying to protect you. But I think the problem is he's so blinded by the thought of protecting you that he's forgotten how much you can protect yourself."

There was a silence after Hermione finished her statement. The only sounds were the clicking of Hermione's needles and the hum of Crookshanks purring as Ginny scratched the bushy cat behind the ears.

"You really think that's what's going through his mind?" asked Ginny.

"Well, I don't know for sure, but I think that's the general idea," said Hermione. "He really loves you, Ginny. I can tell." She smiled at the younger girl.

"I know he does," said Ginny solemnly, "but it's hard to tell when somebody breaks up with you." She shrugged. "I suppose I'll have to live without him then?"

"I don't know," said Hermione. "You'll find out won't you?" she asked with a wide grin.


End file.
